70～80年代アイドル集 Part 2 - 堀ちえみ (My Favourite Top 5 Singles)

The next artiste for this special series is 堀ちえみ (Hori Chiemi). For the notoriously fickle Japanese audience, if a singer wants to be successful, they must have a clear idea of what image they want to project and the positioning in the mind of the consumer. Some singers are lucky enough to gain personal creative control, but many are under the thumbs of their record and production companies, and have to adhere to how they choose to market them.

Many Japanese pop singers are mostly semi professional with the best usually carving a niche for themselves. The top 3 female Japanese singers in the 80s (松田聖子 Matsuda Seiko, 中森明菜 Nakamori Akina and 小泉今日子 Koizumi Kyoko), knew exactly who they wanted to be, and thus they were successful, which in turn allowed them further creative control.

They also had good songwriters to pen good songs for them (especially Seiko and Akina), and for less fortunate ones, they have to try their best to seek out their fortunes. Chiemi is one of those. Like Yu, Chiemi does not have a strong voice. She also has a rather nasal voice, which makes it difficult for her to attempt more mature and adventurous numbers. So, she stuck to the traditional Japanese bubblegum pop tunes she was most comfortable with. She didn't really have a style or patricular image, and I believe she tried a few images but none really persisted. Thankfully, she was the most active amongst all the 1982 idols in TV dramas, and that is how myself and most Singaporeans were introduced to her.

Starring in the TV drama, "スタア誕生" about a starlet wannabe, this role probably mirrors Chiemi's professional life. It was telecast after the highly popular "Oshin" in the 7.30 pm primetime slot and this contemporary drama was a moderate hit. Most people who watched the drama and listened to the theme song mistook that for Chiemi's voice and song, including myself. It was only after I joined "Familiar Music Library" that I realised that the singer of the theme song was actually "葛城ユキ (Katsuragi Yuki)" and the song was「ハートブレイカー HEART BREAKER」. They were worlds apart because 葛城ユキ had a dry raspy voice but the theme song was so catchy, we were all captivated. The closest single that Chiemi has to this song is probably her second best selling single "クレイジーラブ".



Likewise in Japan, the dramas that Chiemi starred in were relative hits, and thus her music career soared as she appeared in TV dramas and movies. Though her musical success was limited in part to her vocal prowess and songs, she achieved chart success that some of her peers could only dream of. She has two Oricon Number 2 Singles (クレイジーラブ & リ・ボ・ン) and in terms of chart positions, she is third in position to the Top 3 stars listed above). As I reveal the rest of the series, you will understand this fact.

Compared to her peers, she has also had one of the most tumultous personal journeys amongst them all. After being discovered by the papparazzi for having a scandalous date with then married and very popular songwriter 後藤次利 (who was the Japanese "Stock, Aiken and Waterman" and wrote many songs for Japanese pop idols), she was diagnosed with anorexia. Her weight dropped to an all time low of 35 kgs, and lost all her baby fat that she carried throughout most of her career. She never looked better but she was very visibly affected by the negative press and so was her public image and sales. She decided to retire from showbiz in early 1987.

She got married a year or two later and had two or three children (all boys) and in the 1989 or 1990, seeked divorce because her dentist husband was physically abusing her. She remarried, had two more children (in total 5) and for unknown reasons (to me at least), divorced again and is currently single. She is now one of the most active among her peers, probably because she has 5 children (4 boys and 1 girl) to look after. I will be updating her current happenings at the very end.

My Favourite 5 songs for 堀ちえみ

(1) 素敵な休日



20th Single
発売日: 21.10.1986
オリコン最高位 (Highest Oricon Chart Position): 29
登場週数 (Weeks on Top 100): 3
売上数: 1.2 万枚 (11,490 copies sold)

Composed by singer-songwriter 尾崎亜美 (which wrote many good pop songs), this lovely song is a departure from most of the songs that Chiemi has released in the past. It's light melody beginning with a beautiful flute arrangement and Chiemi's new light singing, makes this my favourite song of Chiemi's. It's not a well known song because it was the 2nd last single of her career in the 80s before she went into retirement. It is also the poorest selling single but that had to do more with the scandal and the negativity than the song itself. The fans however liked it enough to vote it into Myojo Monthly別冊付録 YOUNG SONG Year End Top 100, making it her only entry that year.

(2) 東京 Sugar Town



12th Single
発売日: 18.7.1984
オリコン最高位 (Highest Oricon Chart Position): 3
登場週数 (Weeks on Top 100): 11
売上数: 14.2 万枚 (141,750 copies sold)

The first Chiemi song I ever listened to, and a choice also partly influenced by her one and only performance at 1984 紅白歌合戦, which is one of my favourites because it featured many good songs that year. If chart positions are a judgment of a song's success, then this is Chiemi's first big hit. It made its debut at No. 8 but climbed up to No. 3 the next, making it her highest chart entry ever. This song also renewed a record for Chiemi at the programme, ザ・ベストテン (The Best 10) where it was the first time Chiemi appeared in it for 5 weeks in a row. Since this programme combined all the sales, radio requests chart and fans votes, one can argue it is a more hit indicative chart than オリコン (Oricon) itself, which only bases itself on sales. This chart success, which is probably achieved by her popularity from TV dramas at that time, paved the way for her to achieve greater success with her next two singles, クレイジーラブ & リ・ボ・ン, which both peaked at No. 2. Bubblegum pop at its best.

(3) リ・ボ・ン



14th Single
発売日: 23.1.1985
オリコン最高位 (Highest Oricon Chart Position): 2
登場週数 (Weeks on Top 100): 10
売上数: 15.4 万枚 (153,040 copies sold)

I have done an unofficial survey of Chiemi, and the most favourable song that pops up in most people's memory is this particular number. It is in my view, the first "grown up" song for Chiemi, as she started to break away from her more childish numbers and try to carve a niche for herself. It is also the last "big hit" for Chiemi. This mid tempo song has a tight melody and is rather infectious and Chiemi should have followed this style which suited her, but she went to a more adventurous "Deadend Street GIRL" where she tried a tsupaari (rebellious) image, but didn't suit her very much and started the descent for her career.

Remarkably, most of the 1982 idols started their "downfall" in the 85-86, where more and more cute star wannabes evolved. Since most of them banked on their cute looks when they started and didn't differentiate them quick enough, they were overtaken by younger and cuter idols. Ironically, most of them were only in their 19s and 20s, barely classified as old, but in Japanese pop culture, with 13 and 14 year olds making their debut everyday, they are viewed as "ancient".

She has also re-recorded a new version of リ・ボ・ン（ぼくらのベストVersion), which has been updated and is more catchy than the original.

(4) 夕暮れ気分



9th Single
発売日: 05.10.1983
オリコン最高位 (Highest Oricon Chart Position): 8
登場週数 (Weeks on Top 100): 15
売上数: 14.4 万枚 (144,370 copies sold)

The second longest charting song in Chiemi's career (behind her debut 潮風の少女 at 16 weeks), this melancholic number marks another "grown up" phase in Chiemi's career. There is something about songs that describe the evening moods that appeal to me, like the mysterious darkness or the calmness of it sometimes, and maybe this is the way I feel about this song. There is a certain warmth and melancholy in Chiemi's interpretation, and also the sweet melody which stays with me ...

(5) 愛を今信じていたい



21st Single
発売日:21.03.1987
オリコン最高位 (Highest Oricon Chart Position): 35
登場週数 (Weeks on Top 100): 5
売上数: 2.5 万枚 (24,640 copies sold)

Chiemi's farewell song and the company finally asked future Jpop now legend songwriter Chiemi penned her own lyrics for the first time. As the title suggests, she still believes that her fans love her, and listening to the song today, I realised that her voice is barely recognisable in parts, where the producer has managed to develop a more mature voice, without most of her trademark nasal nuances. She is now a grown woman.

She performed this song at the 87年 3月11日の『夜のヒットスタジオＤＸ』(Yoru no Hit Studio Deluxe) program and announced her official retirement. She sobbed during the singing and was supported by 早見優 (Hayami Yu) , 石川秀美 (Ishikawa Hidemi) and シブがき隊 Shibugaki Tai, who were her best friends in the music industry.

Proving her fans didn't forget her, this song made it to the Myojo Monthly別冊付録 YOUNG SONG 1987 Year End Chart Top 100 as well.

Best Selling Single:

さよならの物語

5th single
発売日:21.01.1983
オリコン最高位 (Highest Oricon Chart Position): 8 (Fist Top 10 Hit)
登場週数 (Weeks on Top 100): 13
売上数: 18.7 万枚 (186990 copies sold)

Now, onto her current happenings. As I mentioned earlier, Chiemi has been rather active recently and I saw her on TV during my last trip to Tokyo. She looks great and her new production company "ぼくらのベスト" has not only released a new definitive Best Collection (All A & B side songs of her career in the 80s) and also a new album after 18 years - 80's Idol Song Collection next month, where she covers many songs of her peers. Very cleverly, she has omitted any Akina or Seiko songs. It looks really interesting and I would like to get my hands on a copy. She is also holding two concerts in Osaka and Toyko next month.

I don't see it as much of a comeback because I don't think she will be very successful but I do wish her all the best. It is not easy to walk out of an abusive marriage/relationship, and it takes a lot of courage to do it because I know of many people who stay longer in a relationship when it has clearly ended. To do it with so many children and try to carve a career again is clearly admirable, and for that I take my hat off to her.

I didn't think I liked Chiemi that much before I started this, but I guess I did because of the wealth of information I know about her. What I am aware though is that I like her more now because of her strength and this is something we can all learn from.